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Volume XVII, Number 2 Winter 1973 THE TRACKER THE ORGAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc. with headquarters at CONTENTS The Historical Society of York County 250 East Market Street, York, Pa. Volume XVII, Number 2 Winter 1973 and archives at ARTICLES Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, Ohio 1885 Hutchings Rebuilt 12 1852 Krauss to be Restored 9 Thomas W. Cunningham ...... Pr esident E. L. Szonntagh Collection 7 421 S. S'outh Street, Wilmington, Ohio 45177 Thomas L. Finch ...... Vice-President Historic Recital Series 3 Physics Dept., St. Lawrence Univ., Canton, N.Y. 13617 A Jardine in Wisconsin 10 Donald C. Rockwood ...... Treasure1· 50 Rockwood Road, Norfolk, Mass. 02056 by Kim R. Kasling Mrs. Helen B. Harriman ...... Corresponding Secretary John Brown in Marysville 4 295 Mountain St., Sharon, Mass. 02067 Alan M. Laufman ...... Recording Secretary by H. D. Blanchard Mountain Road, Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY. 12520 Music Week in Milwaukee: 1872 8 Homer D. Blanchard ...... Archivist 103 Griswold Street, Delaware, Ohio 43015 by Robert E. Coleberd New Zealand Tracker Organ Survey, Part I 11 Councillors and Committee Chairmen by A. Ross Wards Robert E. Coleberd ...... 1973 409B Buffalo S't., Farmville, Va. 23901 The Story of a Koehnken & Grimm 6 Robert B. Whiting ...... 1973 by Pat Wegner Fairfax 307, 5501 W11ync Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19144 Kenneth F. Simmons ...... 1974 DEPARTMENTS 17 Pleasant Street, Ware, Mass. 01082 Robert A. Griffith ...... 1974 Editorial 24 21 S. Sandusky St., Apt. 26, Delaware, Ohio 43015 Gleanings 20 Donald R. M. Paterson ...... 1975 1350 Slatervllle Road, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 Letters to the Editor 17 Robert C. Newton ...... 1975 New Tracker Organs 18 201 Tyler Street, Methuen, Mass. 01844 Norman M. Walter ...... Audio-Visual Notes, Quotes and Comments 16 25 Watervlew Rd., West Chester, Pa. 19380 Reviews 22 Eugene Kelley ...... Co-Chm. 1,973 Convention Stickers and Squares 21 40 Trenton St., Lawrence, Mass, 01841 Martin R. Walsh ...... Co-Chm. 1973 Conventiou OHS BUSINESS 699 River Road, Yardley, Pa. 19067 Alan M. Laufman ...... Extant Organs Chapter Notes 14 Barbara J. Owen ....Headquarters and Foundation Grants Minute!! of the OHS Council Meeting 14 46A Curtis Street, Pigeon Cove, Mass. 01966 Cleveland Fisher ...... Historic Organs Summary of the Treasurer's Report 15 9255 Bennett Drive, Manassas, Va. 22110 Robert A. Griffith ...... Nominating COVER - The organ in Methuen Memorial Music Hall, Robert E. Coleberd ...... Publications Methuen, Massachusetts. Built in 1863 by Walcker & Son Kenneth F. Simmons ...... Recital Series for the Boston Music Hall, the organ was replaced there in 1884, and was later installed in the Methuen Hall which was built especially for the organ. The organ was rebuilt THE TRACKER staff in 1954 by Aeolian-Skinner. Each year during the summer Albert F. Robinson ...... Editot· season, the organ is used for a series of weekly recitals. First Presbyterian Church, 20 King's Highway East Haddonfield, N.J. 08033 Mrs. Norma C. Cunningham ...... Publisher THE TRACKER is published four times a year by the 421 S. South Street, Wilmington. Ohio 45177 Organ• Historical Society, Inc., a non-profit, educational Robert E. Coleberd organization. Annual membership dues (including THE Circulation Manage1· for Schools and Libraries TRACKER): Regular members $7.50, Contributing mem 409B Buffalo St., Farmville, Va. 23901 bers $15.00, Sustaining members $25.00, Patrons $100.00. Paul J. Korczak ...... Advertising Ma1w,ger Send membership dues to the Treasurer. Back issues of 319 College Ave., Apt. 1, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 THE TRACKER are obtainable from the Corresponding Secretary at $2.00 each or $7.50 for four consecutive Advertising Rates in THE TRACKER numbers. Advertisers may address copy, together with payment, to the Advertising Manager. 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Page 2 Historic Recital Series Ed. Note: It is most gratifying to note that our new project, for the 4' Flute on the Swell. The stop label for the a series of recitals on historically important organs, has taken root and shows signs of flourishing. The two examples Bassoon remained the same, but no one seemed to reported here are the very first and are models for many mind that the bassoon sounded like a flute. These more to come. replacements were more suitable to early twentieth century ears than a "fish-horn" trumpet and a rather Charleston, South Carolina authoritative bassoon. In 1965, the Charleston Chapter of the AGO under The Historic Recital Series, sponsored by OHS, took the organ's restoration. Since it was still playable, was inaugurated on November 1, 1972, with a recital it was decided to present a series· of brief noontime by OHS member Richard Hartman playing the 1845 recitals by members during the tourist season. It was Henry Erben organ in the French Huguenot Church hoped that, through resulting publicity and attendance, in Charleston, South Carolina. He was assisted by the organ's worth and its needs could be made known, Lucien DeGroote, cellist. and that an "angel" would appear. Mr. Hartman performed on the organ which his The instrument responded to the admiration and firm restored in 1969 when it was returned to its affection of the hardy souls who dared play upon it, rightful position as a noteworthy musical instrument. sounding less tenuous and more confident with each He is Director of Music at the First Presbyterian recital. The audiences slowly grew, so that it became Church in South Orange, New Jersey, and teaches unnecessary to waylay startled tourists as they walked organ at Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. down Church Street. He ii- president of the Hartman-Beaty Organ Co., of In 1968 -our "angel" appeared in the person of the Englewood, New Jersey. president of the Preservation Society of Charleston. Mr. DeGroote is in his tenth season as Director of He was charmed by the sound of the organ, and per the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. A native of suaded the Society to take over the job of raising the Brussels, Belgium, he graduated from the Royal Con thousands of dollars still needed. About one thousand servatory of Music there. He served as principal dollars had been donated by members of the Huguenot cellist with the South African Broadcasting Corpora Society in Boston and New York, and by audiences at tion before coming to the United States in 1957. He the recitals. is a member of the Columbia and Winthrop College After the money was in hand, Barbara Owen be String Quartets. came our mentor, advising us what was needed, and The Erben organ was built at the beginning of an how to get it done. After bids had been received from exciting chapter in the history of the Huguenot a number of organ builders, a contract was signed Church, which was founded in the 1670's. More than in 1968 with the Hartman-Beaty Company. It was a century and a half later, there was no Huguenot decided to restore the organ as nearly as possible to Church in Charleston, its doors having been closed in its original specification, rather than "brighten" it 1823 after its members had been absorbed by other with a mixture or modernize it with an AGO pedal denominations. In 1844, a group of Huguenot families, clavier. being dissatisfied with the churches to which they The Keraulaphon was given the ax, and a new belonged, decided to reorganize and rebuild. Since trumpet, with the scaling and voicing of an existing income from rental properties and certain endowments Erben trumpet, was installed. A new bassoon rank still existed, they dismantled their old church and was placed on the Swell as a bass for the oboe, the engaged architect Edward Brickell White, who made only original reed remaining. This was repaired and the new building his first venture into the Gothic retained. style. For their unique edifice, they ordered an organ Probably the pedals originally were played only by from Henry Erben of New York which was installed a pull-down from the Great with a G compass clavier. upon completion of the building in 1845. (At one time (Continued on page 12) there were 17 Erben organs in Charleston.) Services were held regularly thenceforth until 1950, except for a few years during the War Between the States. Recital Scheduled at Kenton, Ohio There is a legend that the organ was carted down Sunday, May 6, 1973, is the date set for a recital to a wharf in Charleston by Yankee soldiers stationed in the Historic Organ Recital Series on organs in two there during that war. They hoped to take this sou neighboring Kenton, Ohio, churches. Robert A. Grif venir home to New York with them, but an appeal to fith, Professor of Organ at Ohio Wesleyan Univer the occupiers' commanding officer by the organist sity, will play the lm 7r Hinners & Albertsen organ resulted in its being stored in Grace Episcopal Church in the Reformed Church, and at Trinity United Pres until the end of the war, when it was returned to its byterian Church on the two manual 1886 Hook & original :home. Hastings organ, opus 1320. The recital will take place At some time in the ensuing years, the pipes of at 3 :30 P.M. with a reception afterwards. The the Trumpet (Great) and the Bassoon (Swell) had churches are located on West Columbus Street, one deteriorated to such an extent that they were replaced block north of, and parallel to, U.S. 30S. Kenton is by a Keraulophon on the Great and by a bass division about 65 miles northwest of Coumbus, Ohio. Page 3 John Brown In Marysville
by H. D. Blanchard
we find in the issue of Thursday, April 18, 1895, Vol. XXI, No. 6, p. 4, a splendid description: The New Pipe Organ Of the Congregational Church A Noble Purpose Grandly Accomplished - The Recital and Dedication a Pleasing Entertainment - Description of the Instrument "The Pipe Organ recital and dedication of the new organ in the Congregational Church last Friday eve ning was a very pleasing entertainment, but only fairly patronized. The audience should have been twice as large. The church edifice had undergone a com plete overhauling and renovation to put it in order for the new organ and this improving and beautifying preliminary was -so well and tastefully done that its worshippers have as much cause to be proud of the one as the other. The inside of the building is simply handsome and speaks in highest praise of the skill of the workmen and good taste of the committee in charge. The new organ is a magnificent piece of fur niture built in the alcove of the church designed for its occupancy. It was built by John Brown of Wil mington, Deleware, cost $1,300.00 and was set up in the church by Mr. Brown himself. It has a compass of manuals of 61 notes, from CC to C4, and a compass of pedals of 27 notes from CCC to D. The complete instrument contains 759 pipes, as follows:
Great Organ Open Diopason 61 pipes 8 feel Dulciana 61 pipes 8 feel Melodia 61 pipes 8 feet The 1895 John Brown organ In the Congregational United Church Principal 61 pipes o! Christ, Marysvllle, Ohio. Dr. M. A. Vente, Utrecht, The Neth 4 feet erlands, ls at the organ. Photograph by Lowell Riley. Harmonic Flute 61 pipes 4 feet Piccolo 61 pipes 2 feet Swell Organ Violin Diapason 61 pipes 8 feet Stopped Diapason 61 pipes 8 feet Aeoline 61 pipes 8 feet Marysville is the county seat of Unfon county in Violina 61 pipes 4 feet Dulcet 61 pipes 2 2/3 feet central Ohio. The town contains a miscellany of or Flautina 61 pipes 2 feet gans, the oldest of which is in the Congregational Pedal Organ United Church of Christ, formerly the Congregational Bourbon [sicl] 27 pipes 16 feet Church. Couplers And Accessories Swell to Great Coupler Tremolo Swell to Pedal Coupler Wind Indicator The local Historical Society is fortunate in owning Great to Pedal Coupler [Pedal Check] a scrapbook contaming an original dedication pro Composition And Pedal Movements gram of April 12, 1895 of the John Brown organ in Great Organ Forte this church. From it we learn about the church that Great Organ Piono "the cornerstone and first storey were built in 1871. Balanced Swell Pedal The first storey was used for several years until "The recital consisted of a program in two parts money was had to complete the second storey. This rendered by Mrs. Rev. S. P. Dunlap, organist, Miss was built in 1878 and the present sanctuary dedicated. Caroline Henking, soloist, and Mr. Earle K. Hawken, The organ was purchased in 1895." cornetist, all of Springfield, Ohio. Their -selections were good, well rendered, and greatly delighted their Housed in the building of the Historical Society auditors who manifested their appreciation by hearty are the early files of the Union County Journal. Here applause. Page -4 "To the Y.L.A., the pastor, Rev. W. S. Bugbey, It was decided to put the pipes in shape first, so as and the membership of the church in general is due to prevent further mutilation and so as to make those great praise for the untiring energy and perseverance that would be able to speak sound better. Work on the that has resulted in placing in their church this grand action and on the wind supply was left for two later pipe organ. Certainly they are each and all to be con- work installments. The organ was cleaned and the gratulated on attaining the ambition of their lives, as pipes were repaired and equipped with slide tuners. we have heard some express it. The pipe organ is now The metal pipework was mainly of spotted metal, a reality instead of a dream and may they all live long about 40% tin. The essential data may be seen in the to enjoy its grand music. table. "Misses Gertrude Morey and Clara Liggett are Great 8' Diapason has 19 on the case. Great 4' Fu- preparing themselves to play it and are making rapid gaxa, so marked on the stopknob and pipes, although progress." both the printed program and the newspaper article The program : call it Principal, has 10 on the case. Great 4' Harmonic Flute shares nos. of basses. Great PART I 1. "Easter March" Merkel Dulciana shares Nos. 1-7 with the Melodia, then has 2. Vocal Solo, - "Holy, Lord God Almighty" Cherubini its own stopped wood 1-5pipes itsNos. 8-12, when 8'it 3. a. "Angels Serenade," Braga becomes open metal. Swell 8' Violin Diapason has 7 b. "Menuet," Paderewski stopped wood basses. Swell 8' Aeoline shares Nos. 4. Cornet Solo, - The Lost Chord Sullivan 5. "Marche Funebre," Chopin 1-7 with the 8' Stopped Diapason, then has its PART II own stopped wood pipes Nos. 8 and 9, and begins at 6. "Tannhauser March," Wagner No. 10 in open metal. The pipe total, then, is 789, not 7. Vocal Solo Selected 759, as the newspaper states. 8. "Variations on a Scotch Air,'' Dudley Buck The pipe layout on the main chests is slightly dif- 9. Cornet Solo Selected 10. "Festive March,'' Henry Smart ferent in that it is alternate, Nos. 1 through 12, but the longest pipe on the C side stands toward the mid- When I first saw the organ in the summer of 1969 dle of the chest, with B at the end of the chest. Pedal it was in a pitiful state: filthy dirty, full o:f leaks, 16' Bourdon is divided, Nos. 1-9 being on the C side of many broken trackers, and pipework so beaten up as the organ with C at the front, while Nos. 10-27 are on to be sickening. The firm who had been )Vorking on the C side with No. 10 at the back and No. 27 at the the organ had told the church it was beyond repair front of the organ. There is no Pedal roller board. and should be replaced. The same firm had continued Very little need be said about the stoplist or the to mutilate most of the metal pipework, to an extent sound of the organ except to note. that here is another almost beyond belief. Pipes had been hacked at with example of a Swell without a ' Flute, which was not knives or meat cleavers, or had been pinched shut with uncommon in the 1890's, as evidenced in the late pliers, tong,s, had simply been on or fingers, or beaten 4 with some blunt instrument. (Continued on page 13)
Inside diameters
Stop Name Data on pipe #1 #6 #13 Jl8 #20 #25 #37 jf49 #6L Gt. 8' Diapason 2-3/4 2-1/2 1-3/8 11/16 7/16
Gt. 8' Melodia 1-7/8 X 1-5/16 X 3/4 X 7/16 X 2-1/8 1-5/8 15/16 5/8
Gt. 8' Dulciana 2-1/4 1-1/4 3/4 7/16 5/16-
Gt. 4' Fugara jf3 JB (60) 1-23/32 1 19/32 3/8- 1/4- Gt. 4' Harm. Flt. #6 JB 2-1/2 2-1/8 1-7 /16 29/32 1/2 3/16
Gt. 2' Piccolo (72) 1-23/32 1 19/32- 3/8 1/4 5/32
Sw. 8' Violin 3 Int (48) 2-13/16 2-1/4 1-13/16 1 5/8- 11/32 Diap. JB
Sw. 8' St. Diap. 3-1/4 X 4 1-13/16 X 1-1/8 X 11/16 X 3/8 X 1/4 X 2-1/8 · 1-3/8 13/16 9/16 7/16
Sw. 8' Aeoline 3 Int (57) 1-15/16 1-1/8 23/32 13/32 9/32
Sw. 4' Violina (67) 2-1/8 1-9/32 3/4 13/32 9/32 3/16
Sw. 2-2/3' Dulcet (70) 1-29/32 1-3/32 21/32 3/8 1/4 3/16-
Sw. 2' Flautina (75) 1-1/2 7/8 17/32- 5/16 7/32 5/3�
Ped. 16 Bourdon 6-5/8 X 8 4-3/8 X 2-5/8 X 5-1/2 3-1/4
Page 5 -
The Story Of A Koehnken· & Grimm
by Pat Wegner
Ed. Note: We have had very little information on the Cincinatti builders, Koehnken & Grimm, since the OHS National Convention held in that city in 1965. Thus we are most I would wish grateful to Miss Wegner for the following article. Miss Wegner this condition entered upon your is employed by Cunningham Pipe Organs, Inc. and assists our minutes, that the organ shall be exclusively for the publisher in producing She adds a footnote: use of St. Mary's Church, and in case the church "A thought occurred to me all I finished read Mrs. King's letter shall become extinct, it shall revert to my heirs. in those old Vestry minutes: I wonder how many organs might have been saved from limboTHE TRAC or destructionKER. if they had had Hoping that my desire to memorialize one so dear similar strings attached? to me will find response in your hearts, I am very Respectfully yours, " Margaret Rives King The console of the organ at St. Mary's Episcopal The Vestry voted to accept the offer, agreeing to Church, Hillsboro, Ohio, bears an M. P. Moller name- the stipulated condition. Until this time there had plate dated 1933, opus number 6177, and the been no organ in the church since its erection in 1855. followingGreat stoplist: Swell In October 1911 passing mention appears of "re- Open Diapason 8' Bourdon 16'* * Melodia 8' Stopped Diapason 8'* * pairs to organ and church," but on October 7, 1924, Dulciana 8' Violin Diapason 8' the organ was again reported to be in a state of disre- Principal 4' Solicianol 8' pair. Nothing seems to have been done immediately, Chimney Flute 4' Aeoline 8' however; for the next mention appears on May 3, 1926, Twelfth 2 2/3' Flute Harmonique 4' Fifteenth 2' Flute D'Amour 4'** when the Vestry decided that "Mr. Rimmer a Pipe Hautbois 8'* Fugoro Organ specialist from Cincinnati" was to be consulted. Hautbais Clarion 4'* Nozard 2 2/3'** (This may have been John Rimmer, who was in the Tremolo Piccolo 2'* * Koehnken & Grimm line of succession. Two weeks Swell to Great 16' Hautbois4' 8'* Swell to Great 8' Houtbois Clarion 4'* later repairs were authorized amounting to $150. Swell to Great 4' Tremolo Great to Great 16' Swell to Swell 16' These repairs did not suffice for long, however; Great to Great 4' Swell to Swell 4' on May 9, 1933, "Mrs. Meta Wright, Organist, ap- Unison Sep. Unison Sep. peared before the Vestry and presented for their con- sideration the matter of repairing or rebuilding the Pedal church organ. . . . She pointed out defects and showed Bourdon 16' *Reed unit (73 pipes) the need of repairs, stating that in its present condi- Echo Bourdon 16'** **Flute unit (97 pipes) tion she feared it would fail or become unusable at 61 Echo Flute Manual compass, notes some special service. . . ." According to Mrs. Char- Flautina Pedal compass, 32 notes Swell to 8'**Pedal Wind pressure, 3¾" lotte Krebs, a long-time member of the parish, the Great to4'* *Pedal All pipes are enclosed organ was still hand pumped at this time. The following month M. P. Moller's proposal for rebuilding the organ at a cost of $3500, based on spe- Conversations with the Rector of the parish, The cifications drawn up by Prower Symons of Cincinnati, Rev. John Carson, yielded the information that the was accepted. Approximately $3000 of this amount present instrument was a rebuild of an 1885 Koehnken came from a legacy in the will of Frank W. Arm- & Grimm. A search of parish records for the original strong. The organ was rededicated Christmas 1933. stoplist was unproductive; the only mention of the organ before 1911 was in the minutes of the Vestry meeting of After a preliminary examination of the organ, which December 28, 1884. The following letter was copied into the showed most of the pipes to be original and verified record: that Koehnken & Grimm were the original builders, I wrote to Moller requesting information. Jack Staley, To the Vestry of St. Mary's Church, Hillsboro: National Sales Manager for Moller and an OHS member, was most co-operative in providing information as well I wish to place a memorial of my brother Dr. as the photograph, showing the organ as it appeared in Edward Rives in St. Mary's Church, if consistent 1933, which accompanies this article. with the views of the Vestry. I desire to make the gift an organ of best workmanship, with power suitable to The arrows on the photograph, placed there at the the size of the church, two banks of keys and stops and time by Moller personnel, point to the changes made Pagepedale 6 sufficient for the most elaborate church music. in the appearance of the organ. The old console was those ranks were placed within the Great box. The or- namental stenciling was removed from all display pipes. The seven ranks of the Great are all from the orig- inal organ, extended from a 58-note compass to the present 61-note compass. Fifteen new basses were added to the Open Diapason, twelve to the Dulciana (this rank has "K & G" inscribed on 1' C) and seven to the rescaled 4' Principal. The soldered caps of the Chimney Flute were replaced by moveable caps, and the large tuning ears by smaller, heavier ears. The Stopped Diapason in the Swell was extended to a unit ranging from 16' to 2'. Its original pitch was 8'. The Hautbois unit, which is in the Swell box although it appears on both manuals, was new. Internal evidence, including the name "Whittington" and the date September 1, 1933, on the Tenor C pipe, indicates that the Aeoline was also new. Seventeen new bass pipes were added to the Violin Diapason in a rescale of the lower end of the rank only, and 15 top pipes extended the compass to 73 pipes. Fifteen top pipes were added to each of the other three ranks, making their present compass 73 pipes. The original beards of the Salicionale wer replaced by conventional roller bridges. I was not able to determine what other The 1885 Koehnken & Grimm organ in St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Hillsboro, Ohio, as it appeared in 1933 before rebuilding revoicing might have been done. by M. P. Moller, Inc. as opus 6177. Photograph courtesy of In the Pedal, which originally had a 27-note com- M. P. Moller. pass, the Bourdon is original with five new top pipes. detached The other three Pedal stops are from the flute unit in the Swell. replaced by a console; the Pedal Bourdon No record has been found of the original stoplist. pipes, which were placed in the Great swell box, were It is likely, however, that it consisted of the thirteen replaced by metal dummy pipes; and the space between ranks identified as original. These comments are based partly on my own ob- the case and the chancel wall was filled by a flat of ______dummy pipes above the console, which were speaking servations and partly on my correspondence with Mr. pipes,The were E. left L. in Szonnthe facade;tagh and Collection new basses for Staley. A keyed clarinet, flutes and clarinets from the nine- remarkable collection of music and musical teenth century, an Hungarian tarogat6. Facsimiles instruments has been assembled by Eugene L. include a Greek kithara (500 B.C.), of which the only Szonntagh at his home in Flourtown, a suburb of other known copy is in the British Museum. The eth- Philadelphia. It is the result of selective nographic instrument division contains Mexican, Car- purchasing and musicological research, and now ibbean, South American, African, European and Asian contains over 300 items. There are more than one instruments. Among the latter are Chinese hu ch'in, hundred instruments, an equal number of yilech ch'iu, hsiao ki na, sheng, ti, ti tsu, Indian and accessories and displays, and about one hundred Pakistani instruments, Syrian zummara , Persian- art. objects showing musical in-struments. Kurd tan bur, Jewish shofar, Balkan bowed lyre, pan- A great number of illuminated chant manuscripts, pipes, zithers, dulcimers, etc. The great variety of per- rare music books (mostly hymn books and psalters cussion instruments include a Revolutionary War era from 1510 to the present) are included, as well as side drum and a number of African drums. historic phonograph recordings newspapers, postage Most of the instruments are in playable condition, stamps, coins, magazines, opera and concert playbills, but some of the keyboard instruments are in the proc- and assorted memorabilia. ess of restoration. This work is being done by Mr. The musical instrument division accommodates Szonntagh, himself. classical, popular, and folk instruments. The key- Mr. Szonntagh is both a musician and an engineer. board section, for example, contains clavichord, harp- He is a member of the American Musicological Soci- sichord, piano, reed organ, pipe and electronic organ ety, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the categories. Among the several pianos, there is a American Guild of Organists. He is available as a square piano by Pommer (cl818), an 1848 Chickering, lecturer in the history and science of musical instru- an 1896 practice klavier by Scherzer, and a player ments, and his collection (or parts of it) is available piano. Among the stringed instruments there is an on loan. Color photographs and color slides may be early eighteenth century violin made by Jacob Stain- seen, or the actual collection may be seen by er's successor and a bow by the famous English bow- appointment. Interested parties may contact Mr. maker, John Dodd (1752-1839). The woodwind section Szonntagb through P.O. Box 9918, Philadelphia, includes such rarities as an eighteenth century five- Pennsylvania, 19118. Page 7 Music Week In Milwaukee: 1872
by Robert E. Coleberd
The German immigrants who settled in Milwaukee, by eighty feet, and the building room is of the same Wisconsin, beginning in the 1840's brought with them dimensions and thirty-four feet high. A fifteen horse a rich heritage of music and the arts which they soon power engine runs the machinery, which is located in established in their new homeland. By 1900 three- the basement. This includes sawing and planing ma- fourths of the inhabitants of the city were either chines designed expressly for organ work, and which natives of Germany or of German descent. German do much to expedite the completion of their instru- newspapers, theater, music groups, and beer gardens ments. The metal shop and offices are separate. gave a distinctive Teutonic flavor to the cultural and About the first of March an addition was made to the social life of the city. firm, and now the factory is owned by Marshall Brothers and Clarke - the latter member of the The third week in April in 1872 was music week in house being Mr. A. F. Clarke, who enters into the la- Milwaukee. Mademoiselle Marie Aimee, billed as the bors with commendable spirit. Twenty men are now "Queen of Opera Bouffe," starred at the Grand Opera employed by these gentlemen. House in a series of operettas by the popular German- born composer Jacques Offenbach. These included "The grand organ for St. John's Church, Quincy, "La Grande Duchesse," "La Perichole," "La Belle was commenced in November, and is now ready for Helene," "Les Brigands," "Barbe Bleue," and "Le Pont delivery. Meantime, five others have been building, Des Soupis."1 Music week also marked completion of two for this city, two for Waukesha, and one for Han- a 31 rank three manual (1690 pipes) organ by the nibal, Missouri. The instrument to be sent to Quincy, Marshall Brothers. The Milwaukee Sentinel, which is the largest of its kind ever built in the West, and took a keen interest in the work of these builders and cost six thousand dollars. Its greatest height is twen- often published specifications of their instruments ty-eight feet. A pardonable pride in the excellent tone and other news of the firm, gave this account of the and beauty of the organ caused the firm to determine new organ: to give a public exhibition to our citizens, and yester- day and last night the factory had numbers of visitors "During this musical week in Milwaukee there has to hear and see the work of art. In the afternoon we been an event, thus far unnoticed, which deserves called and heartily congratulate [sic] the Marshalls more than passing mention. While our people gener- upon their success. The instrument will be shipped ally have been delighted with the presence of Aimee to its destination on Monday, for which purpose two at the Opera House, and anticipating the opening of cars have been chartered. The factory will be open to the Academy of Music, many have watched with in- the lovers of music until Saturday, and we urge all terest the completion and trial of a new church organ, such to call and view for themselves a handsome piece which cannot do otherwise than add to the reputation of workmanship. We append the specification, which of the Cream City in musical circles throughout the speaks for the grand organ in the highest terms."2 country. St. John's Church was founded on Easter Sunday "The house of Marshall Brothers, located in Mil- in 1837 by the Rt. Rev. Philander Chase, the first waukee, is sufficiently well known for the work Episcopal Bishop of Illinois. The present .stone build- turned out; and a chain of unfortunate circumstances ing, on the corner of Seventh and Hampshire streets has given the proprietors a local notoriety and sym- in downtown Quincy, was built in 1852 and is said pathy among all classes, who refer to their energy to be the oldest church building in the city. Among and enterprise as a proper criterion for other business several noteworthy appointments in the church are the men. It is unnecessary to detail again the many ob- reredos over the altar, designed by Ralph Adams structions to successful work encountered by them Cram and presented in 1907, and an eleven bell chime within the past three years. We make reference, how- in the tower built by the E. W. Van Duzen Company ever, to the fire of last October, which for the third of Cincinnati, Ohio, and given in 1905.3 time destroyed their factory. At that date these gen- tlemen had an organ completed for a church in Quincy, The organ stood at the right side of the altar in a Illinois, which was burned in the building, involving handsome butternut case-a favorite case wood of the serious loss. But with the energy we have mentioned they soon planned and constructed another establish- ment and commenced to build an instrument to take 1. Milwaukee Sentinel, April 13, 1872, p. 1 col. 6. the place of the one lost. 2. ibid, April 18, 1872, p. 4 col. 2. 3. "Things You Ought To Know About St. John's Church," "The new factory is at the corner of Clybourn and n.d., p. 9. Tenth streets, and with it the brothers secured greater 4. The author is grateful to Mr. Upson and Mrs. Roxanna Peine, organist of St. John's, for information about facilities for doing work. The main structure is thirty the church and the organ. Page 8 1852 Krauss Organ To Be Restored
In certain small American communities there are church buildings known as ''Union" churches. This means that two or more congregations of different denominations use the building at different times for their worship services. Huffs Union Church at Barto, Pennsylvania, is a good example of this practice where Lutheran and United Church of Christ congregations share a building-and the expenses of same. In 1852 the congregation agreed to spend about $950.00 for an organ which was built by John and Andrew Krauss, of the firm of Krauss Organ Co. in Kraussdale (near Palm), Penna. This was installed in the first church building, and when the church was taken down in 1881 it was stored in Jacob Moyer's barn until the new (present) church was completed. In 1883 it was placed in its present location and has served faithfully all these years until the present when a major restoration is needed to secure the future of the organ. Incidentally, descendants of the builder kept the Krauss Organ Co. going until about 1925, and there are many examples of their work still extant. The organ in Huffs Union Church has two manuals. a pedalboard of 13 notes and 16 stopknobs. A fund has been established to raise between even and ten thousand dollars, the amount estimated to completely restore this organ. Contributions are most welcome and may be sent to: Ronald E. Solt, Chairman Huffs Union Church R. D. 1, Barto, Pa. 19504 The 1852 Krauss organ ln Huffs Union Church, Barto, Penn- sylvanla. Checks should be made payable to Huffs Union Church Organ Fund. Swell Organ 1. Lieblich Gedact Wood 16 feet 58 pipes 2. Open Diapason Metal 8 58 Marshall Brothers. Electrified by the Kilgen Com- 3. Viola di Gamba Metal 8 58 pany in 1912, the organ was in effect replaced by a 4. Lieblich Gedact Wood 8 58 rebuild by the Temple Organ Company in the 1950's 5. Octave Metal 4 58 which incorporated some of the original pipework and 6. Flute Octaviente Wood 4 58 4 7. Piccolo Harmonique Metal 2 58 retained the lower portion of the case. It was in- 8. Clarion Metal 4 58 spected through the courtesy of The Reverend Charles 9. Horn Metal 8 58 B. Upson,Sentinel rector of St. John's. The specification of 10. Oboe Metal B 58 the 1872 Marshall Brothers instrument as given in Solo Organ the is as follows: I. Dulciana Metal 8 feet 58 pipes ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, QUINCY, ILLINOIS 2. Flute d'Amour Wood 8 58 3. Gemshorn Metal 4 58 Three Manuals, from CC to A3 58 notes 4. Flute Metal 4 58 Haarmonique Metal 8 46 Pede I, CCC to F 30 notes 5. Clarinette Metal 8 46 6. Vox Humana Pedal Organ Great Organ 1. Great Open Diapason 16 feet 30 pipe, Sub Boss 16 1. Double Diapason Metal 16 feet 58 pipes 2. 30 3. Violoncello 8 30 2. Open Diapason Metal 8 58 3. Geigen Principal Metal 8 58 Couplen 1. Swell to Great 6. Solo to Pedal 4. Clarabella Wood 8 58 2. Swell to Pedal 7. Swell to Solo 5. Octave Metal 4 58 3. Swell Super Octave 8. Tremulant to Solo 6. Twelfth Metal 2 2/3 58 4. Swell Sub Octave 9. Tremulant to Swell 7. Fifteenth Metol 2 58 5. Great to Pedal 10. Bellows Signal 8. Mixture Metal Ill-IV 232 Compositions 9. Trumpet Metal 58 3 to Great Orgon 2 lo Swell Organ
Page 9 A Jardine In Wisconsin by Kim R. Ka'sling
One of the most picturesque river towns on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border lies only 40 minutes dri- ving time from Minneapolis-St. Paul. Hudson, Wis- consin, nestled on the St. Croix River, boasts several wide avenues lined with Victorian and pre-Victorian mansions, most of which are in fine repair. Just a few blocks down from a spectacular old octagon house, now restored for museum use, is located the white- clapboard, steepled First Baptist Church. Well over a century old, this church had no pipe organ for several years, although the records report that the present steeple bell was purchased from Troy, N.Y., in 1867. It is known, too, that reed organs were used by the church.
The same records indicate that the church pur-chased a "second hand pipe organ from a Presbyterian church in Pittsburgh" in 1872. ,.,.. -- (Special thanks should be accorded here to Mrs. The Jardine & Son organ In First Baptist Church. Hudson, Wis- James A. Swanson of Hudson for historical data consin. and to Mr. Richard Lurth of Mankato, Minnesota, for technical information on the or-gan.) In order The stoplist: to accommodate the instrument in 1872, Swell (56 notes) Great (56 notes) remodelling was carried out to the extent of Open Diapason 8' metal TC Open Diapason B' metal erecting an addition to the building to house the St. Diapason Treble 8' w&m TC Melodia 8' wood TC organ and make space available for a choir St. Diapason Bass 8' wood Principal 4' metal platform. This arrangement remains unchanged to 12 pipes Flute 4' metal TC Cloriana 8' metal TC Twelfth 2 2/3' mP.tal the present. Principal 4' metal Fifteenth 2' metal Hautbois 8' metal TC St. Diapason Bass 8' wood Couplers 12 pipes The organ itself bearing the nameplate "Jardine Pedal and Swell Pedal (25 notes) & Son, New York," presents a Greco-Roman motif Pedal and Great Pedal Pipes 16' wood, stopped facade and encases pipes of the Great Open Diapason Great and Swell Pedal Octaves - (separate devicE> 8'. There is some evidence facade may Bellows Signal and Pedal Lock for playing low 12 notes one the and action octave higher) have undergone minor alteration in 1872; the otgan's three interior sides are encased at exactly the same It is somewhat unusual to find the 4' Flute on the height and are flush with the top of the Swell box Great only to tenor C. The solitary pedal stop is inter- and interior pipes. The whole instrument, save the estingly constructed, too, its pipes being located be- facade pipes, is at exactly the same ceiling level. In hind the pallet box and given air via long connecting addition, all the pipes are cut "dead-length" ,save the tubes. false length scroll-tuned facade Open. The Great chest bears evidence of very old repinning and relief Save conversion to electrified blowing in 1938, the holes were drilled at a later date. It is possible then, organ has suffered very little from alteration or "im- perhaps to accommodate new space restrictions, that provements." The "Pedal Octaves" mechanism was the facade and some of the action may have been disconnected (probably in 1938) and the knob moved altered. to a Swell terrace to operate the tremulant (which also looks to be a 1938 vintage). The "Pedal Octaves" has since been restored by the Lurth Company and, Some fascinating information was found recently with the action regulated once more and pedalboard while the a cleaning organ was undergoing thorough refurbished, but kept completely in its original design, and repair by the Lurth Organ Company of Mankato, the instrument is in a remarkable state of preserva- Minnesota. pipes of solitary pedal stop Several the tion and a joy to play. The tone is clear and mild, and "Pedal Pipes" the script "J. bear inscription in black the Swell Hautbois is a fine example of J ardine's skill S. also Rhodes Esq., Wheeling VA." Each pedal pipe at producing a fiery but thin trumpet-oboe stop. carries the label "Organ no." with a completely ran- dom number following. On one of the swell shades, let- Hudson is a very history-minded community and tering giving the probable date of manufacture reads there is much recognition of the value of the organ. "Dudley Jardine 1864." In addition, one of the Swell First Baptist's organist, Mrs. Phyllis Pratt, plays lit- Principal 4' pipes carries the emblem "Montage-Liege." erature of all styles and eras on the instrument and Mr. Peter T. Cameron of New York writes this insig- finds the Jardine most tractable in all aspect!,. Visi- nia can be found on zinc pipes of several New York tors to the organ and church are welcome. builders and evidently refers to a zinc supplier for organ pipes of the period. Page 10 New Zealand Tracker Organ Survey
by A. Ross Wards Part I
New Zealand is in many ways a small, isolated Manual country. The population approaches three million in 8' Open Diapason 8' Clarionet Flute a land some 10,000 miles bigger than Britain. It is a 8' Dulciana (tel beautiful place with huge lakes, the great Southern 4' Principal Alps, active volcanoes, sounds and fjords, thermal 2' Fifteenth areas, glaciers and broad plains. 8' Oboe (cc) Apart from the large minority of Maoris, the peo- Masterton ple are of British stock and many still refer to the Roman Catholic, United Kingdom as "home." However, at more than Built by Abbott & Smith of Leeds, England, this is, 1200 miles from Australia, people have in some re- so far as is known, the only organ of such make in spects a rather insular outlook. Settlement only began New Zealand. Date is unknown, but probably about in earnest about 120 years ago, so perhaps the greatest 1905/1910. It has a pleasant, unforced tone and period of organbuilding has been since 1875. The stands in the rear gallery of the church. The organ is dominant influence is still the English late-Romantic in very good order. The Viol is broad. tradition, though this is gradually giving way under Great Swell determined attack. 8' Open Diapason 8' Viol di Gamba Until very recently, perhaps three years ago, it 8' Dulciana (tc) 8' Gedackt 4' Harmonic Flute 4' Lieblich Flute was possible to say with complete certainty that (1) there had been not one new New Zealand-built tracker Pedal organ in 16' Bourdon organ in the last 45 years; (2) not one new There are three unison couplers, two combination pedals ta the Great. 40 years had a mixture on the Great; and (3) scarcely and a tremulant. a single organist had any idea what a classic organ sounded like. These are now, happily, changing. Opawa Methodist, Christchurch There have been many minor firms of one to three organ, by make in Zealand, men in our history, but there have also been a number This also a rare New least of bigger ones. The names of these will become ap- is a combination of at two organs, but the bulk of built by Fincham of 150 Euston Road, Lon- parent as this series of articles progresses. Suffice it was about the turn of the century. The to say that Geo. Croft & Son, established in 1898, is don, presumably organ is in a very exposed position across the east still New Zealand's largest and best-known firm, of the church. Compass of the is and though now not in the Croft family control. end manuals 56 of the pedals 30. As might be expected, there are a great many in- Great Swell struments from England in New Zealand, and all ex- 8' Open Diapason 8' Gamba (tc) cept one or two new instruments have English pipes. 8' Stop Diapason (sic) (tc) 8' Open (sic) (tc) But there is still a great deal of interest to offer the (wood and metal) 8' Stopped Bass (permanently on) organ enthusiast in tracker and other fields even if 8' Lieblich Gedacht (tc) Pedal (metal - very soft) 16' Bourdon the great bulk of the instruments are not large. Very 8' Dulciana (tc) often small organs have a fascination out of all pro- 8' Stopped Diapason (bottom 12) Couplers portion to their size, as OHS members will be aware. 4' Principal Swell to Great, Great to Pedal With this brief introduction, the description of The mechanical stop action has been replaced by some New Zealand tracker organs can be begun. Bowden cables. The organ's future is in doubt, and it will probably be replaced by a poor electronic sub- stitute.
Lyttelton Anglican, Holy Trinity St. John the Baptist Anglican, Christchurch is one of the oldest organs in New Zealand, This small tracker is in almost perfect order and This having been built about 1864 by G. M. Holdich of lovingly maintained. It was built by Gray and Davi- England. It was rebuilt and enlarged by F. H. Jenkins son of England in about 1865, being one of only two Kaiapoi, a local builder, in 1875, but apart from minor of that make known to be in this country. The tone is changes in the 1920's, nothing has been done since. rich and warm, yet clear. Only the Bourdon and Open The organ is in the south of this low-roofed Gothic Diapason are unenclosed. The knobs are arranged in stone church, and it speaks into the transept and a horizontal row above the keys. The instrument chancel. Although now in deplorable order, it could be stands in the north transept of this small stone church. The Flute is grooved to the Dulciana. (Continued on page 13}
Page 11 1885 Hutchings Rebuilt inal, if awkward to operate. A new blower was also provided. The upper manual is divided, with the treble stops According to the rededication program, the 1885 labeled "Swell," while the bass stops are labeled tracker organ built by George Hutchings Company of "Choir." Divisions are at Tenor F, although the Boston for the Presbyterian Church in Bedford, New SwellTrumpet goes down to TenorGreat C. The stops are Hampshire, has been rebuilt by the Andover Organ Hautboyarranged 8' in the following order:Trumpet Flute 4' Fifteenth Company of Methuen, Massachusetts. Principal 4' Treble Twelfth The program states that "In 1790 a bass viol pro- Stopped Diapason 8' Treble Principal 4' instrumental for the worship services Dulciana 8' Stopped Diapason 8' Treble vided the music Choir Stopped Diapason 8' Bass of the church and continued to serve in this capacity Bassoon Open Diapason until 1849 when a double bass viol was purchased. The Principal 4' Bass Bellows (blank) double bass, together with an assortment of other in- Stopped Diapason 8' Bass Bourdon 16' (Pedal) struments, such as violins, a bassoon, clarinet and a Gt. & Sw. coupler Ped. & Gt. coupler flute, provided the music until 1866 when a reed organ was introduced. Both the double bass viol and the reed organ are still in the balcony of the church building. The climax of the four-year struggle was the re- dedicatory recital by E. Power Biggs on April 8, 1969. "In 1885 the present tracker action pipe organ was All pews and extra chairs were filled, with many purchased from the George Hutchings Company of standing in the churchyard. Cadets from the Military at cost of $1,300.00. purchase Boston, a Funds for the College of South Carolina (The Citadel) in full dress of this instrument were donated by the Ladies' Social uniform served as ushers. The Mayor of Charleston Circle. The alcove extension on the west end of the (himself of Huguenot descent) made the opening re- building was constructed by the men of the church to marks. Mrs. Henry V. Erben, widow of the grandson The organ house the instrument. was dedicated in a of the builder, had offered to sponser the concert, recital performed on November 6, 1885. being keenly interested in the organ, and having con- "The first major renovation and rebuilding pro- tributed to its restoration. Unfortunately, her un- gram was conducted in 1971 with the Ladies' Social timely death occurred before the work was completed, Circle again providing the impetus and a major con- but the executors of her estate honored her commit- tribution of funds. The Andover Organ Company of ment to the recital. Her nephew, Henry Erben Gail- Methuen, Massachusetts, performed the work. Al- lard, a direct descendant of the builder, represented though some voicing changes were made to provide the Erben family. for a better balance and more useful combination of Since the rededication, five evening recitals have stops, the organ remains essentially in its original been given on the Erben, three of them by OHS mem- form." bers. The Charleston Chapter, AGO, has presented a On October 15, 1971, Carlton T. Russell, Associate series of noontime concerts by members each Spring Professor of Music at Wheaton College, Norton, with gratifying attendance. Massachusetts, played a recital in celebration of the The little organ is now honored to be the first in organ's rededication. His program included works by the OHS series of Historic Recitals. Praetorius, Buxtehude, Couperin, Mendelssohn, Wal- -Susanne L. Taylor cha, Widor, Bach. New York City Great ,Swell MixtureThe Ill present specifications183 pioes Oboe are: 8' 61 pipes Rohrflote 8' 61 pipes Principal 2' 61 pipes Octove 4' 61 pipes Stopped Diopason 8' 61 pipes Second of the Historic Recital Series was presented Open Diapason 8' 61 pipes Spitzflote 4' 61 pipes at St. Alphonsus' Church on West Broadway near Pedal Couplers Canal Street, New York, by Rollin Smith on Decembet· Bourdon 16' 2l pipes Sw. to Ped. Sw. to Gt. Sponsored jointly by the Greater New York Tremolo Gt. to Ped. Gt. to Gt. 10, 1972. City Chapter, OHS, and the Honorable Andre Erne- m!inn, Consul General of Belgium, the program con- Historic Recital Series sisted of the organ works of Cesar Franck to honor (Continued frorn page the 150th anniversary of his birth. The organ at St. Alphonsus' is the 1871 E. & G. G. 3) Hook & Hastings, Opus 576, which was rebuilt with electro-pneumatic pull-down action to slider chests by At some time, 15 stopped bourdon pipes were added, Hook and HastingsTHE as TRACKER,Opus 2514 c. 1925. It has three with the top five pedals playing pipes from the manuals, 55 ranks and 3,066 pipes. Specifications lower octave. In 1929, the pedal clavier was changed were given in Vol. X, No. 2, Winter from G compass to C compass, resulting in quite a 1966, and in the OHS National Convention book for mess in the trackers. At restoration they were 1969, the last New York City convention. Jack Fisher was unscrambled, and the five missing pipes were added. the recitalist in a splendid program on June 26, 1969, All existing pipework was cleaned and repaired, the closing event of this convention. and missing or mutilated pipes replaced. The entire Rollin Smith, organist at Brooklyn Museum, has mechanism was cleaned, repaired, adjusted, and a new appeared as recitalist at several OHS National Con- 20-note pedal clavier installed. The defunct tremolo, ventions. He is particularly skilled in all of the which had been added in 1929, was removed. The French organ literature, and was thus a most for- hitch-downPage 12 swell pedal was retained, since it was orig- tunate choice for this program. John Brown in Marysville New Zealand Tracker Organ Survey (Continued from page 5; (Continued from page 11) Johnsons. 1 The Swell 2-2/3' Dulcet is rather unusual, restored, if the church had the interest and the money. however, and has the effect here of transferring the The manual compass is t-0 58 notes, but nothing works small scale chorus to the Swell, since the 2' Flautina above top F or Ff. The Great is all tracker, but the is really more Principal than Flute. The Dulcet is Swell and Pedal are tracker-pneumatic. About 25 quite mild but the scale is so small that it can scarcely pipes are missing and many more need revoicing. All be used as a mutation. The Great 2' Piccolo, on the is filthy dirty and not cared for, although the local other hand, is really fluty. builder does his best on a limited budget. The console has Swell knobs on the left, couplers Great Swell above the Swell keys, and Great knobs on the right 16' Lieblich Gedocht {le) wood 16' Bourdon - wood 8' Open Diapason 8' Open Diapason side in typical terraced jambs. Knob faces are of 8' Clarabelle (tc) wood 8' Dulciana (le) celluloid and are original. John Brown's nameplate is 8' Dulciana (le) 8' Vax An.gel ico (tc) of ivory with Old English lettering. In the middle 8' St. Diapason (bottom 12) 8' St. Diapason - wood row of Great knobs is an empty, bushed hole, as if 4' Principal 4' Principal 4' Flute (le) wood 4' Suobe Flute /tc) wood one knob were missing. The Great chest actually has 2 2/3' Twelfth 2' Fifteenth an empty topboard for a Gamba, but the stop action 2' Fifteenth 8' Oboe (tc) was never fully constructed and the space seems Ill Mixture 8' Horn always to have been used as a most convenient, 8' Clarinet (tc) Pedal Couplers 16' Open Diapason - wood if narrow, passage board. 3 Unisons 16' Bourdon Pedal Pipes The balanced expression pedal is located over E- Swell 16' and 4' F of the pedal clavier and the fixed combinations are There are three combination pedals each to Swell and Great, and a in the form of pedal touches to the right of it. Swell tremulanf. The Swell Horn is in a swell box extension at the Great Organ Piano brings on Melodia, Dulciana, and bock of the box behind the Bourdon. Flute 4'. Great Organ Forte, which is at the far Knox Presbyterian, Masterton right, brings on full Great. The wind indicator is in the form of a slide, to the left of the coupler knobs in the nameboard. Built by Wadsworth of England in 1909, this is How John Brown happened to be building in Ohio one of only two or three organs of this make in New I do not know, but he did build a much larger two Zealand. The church is fairly large and of brick, but manual in Mechanicsburg, which is only about 16 miles the roof is low. The organ is in a spacious area across from Marysville. The Mechanicsburg instrument was the east end. The organ was transferred into the removed some years ago but most of its pipes were "new" church from the old in 1942, after earthquake put on modern action and installed in the Methodist damage to the church fabric. Broad bold tone, but not Church in Mechanicsburg by Durtbaler, of Columbus, woolly, characterizes this organ. It was intended to Ohio, where they still exist. electrocute the organ, but the writer persuaded the church to get Geo. Croft & Son to restore and enlarge Opus 712 (1889), Bellevue, Ohio, First Congregational it instead. The work was completed in 1967 at less Opus 749 (1891), Baltimore, Md,, Fayette-Bennet Memo- cost than electrocution. Only two new ranks could be rial Methodist afforded, and thus are conveyanced off the Great Opus 777 (1892), Bridgeport, Conn., Olivet Congrega- tional chest: although they are thus a minute fraction Opus 805 (1893), Housatonic, Mass., Congregational behind in speaking, this cannot be detected from the Opus 847 (1894), Geneva, Ohio, First Baptist church. A new pedalboard, not flat, was fitted, and Greatthe old Sw-Gt 16' coupler wasSwell turned upside down, 8'literally, Open Diapason to become a Sw-Gt 4'8' coupler.Open Diapo san The James M. McEvers Co. 8' Salicional {not stringy} 8' Clarabelle 8' onr Gedeckt (meta1) 8' Gamba (stopt bass) Organ Craftsmen 4' Principal 8' Voix Celeste (tc) ,4' Wald flute 4' Octave ROUTE 1, box 673. HEl'lfilN, ILLINOIS 62948 (wood) 2' Fifteenth ·(new) II Mixture { 12.15} l /3 langot (MW-tapered 1 8' Cornopean Pedal Couplers 16' Open Diapason (wood) 3 Unisons 16 'Bourdon Swell to Greet 4' C U N N I N G H AM P IPE OR G AN S , INC. 8' Flute (ext. 16') State Route 13-4, P.0. Box 233 Port William, Ohio 45164 There are three combination pedals each to Great and Swell and a Swell tremulant. The new mutations on the Great are ideal for solo use, yet produce a remarkably Postbrilliant Script: full Great in chorus work. The reed is very free THOMAS MURRAY and brassy. IMMANUEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 3300 Wilshire Boulevard The Opawa Methodist Church's trust, after Los Angeles California four and a half years of the writer's haranguing them, have decided to keep the organ though it will be elec- trocuted and enlarged, not in accord with his wishes. The details may be given later. (To be continued) MINUTES OF THE OHS COUNCIL MEETING October 28, 1972 Delaware, Ohio Bob Newton raised the question of having an offi- cial Society recording of Convention recitals. George Pallage of Cincinnati may be able to help with this. The meeting recommended deletion of the $100.00 The meeting was called to order by President Cun- Convention deficit clause in the Proposed Revised ningham. The following members were present: Version of Rules and Suggestions for Convention Thomas Cunningham, Norma Cunningham, Thomas Committees, June 26, 1972, p. 2. It was also recom- Finch, Homer Blanchard, Robert Griffith, Robert mended that there be no photography during Conven- Newton, Martin Walsh, and Pat Wegner. In the ab- tion programs. sence of a quorum, it was decided to hold an unofficial meeting. Norma Cunningham read the report of the Extant The Minutes of the previous meeting and the An- Organs Committee, submitted by Alan Laufman. nual Meeting at Woodstock were read. No report was received from the Historic Organs Tom Cunningpam highlighted the Treasurer's Re- Committee. port, copies of which had been mailed to Council be- fore the meeting. Mr. Cunningham suggested that we In connection with the report of the Publications should spend up to $100.00 for an adding machine Committee, there was some discussion of the Elsworth for the Treasurer. Meeting agreed. manuscript. Homer Blanchard felt that we should es- The report of the Corresponding Secretary was tablish ownership. Tom Finch reported on the BiCen- THE TRACKER tennial Committee. read. The Diapason,The report of the Editor of was Ken Simmons reported on the Historic Organs Re- read, along with a letter from theTHE Editor TRACKER of citals. Richard Hartman will give the first recital on commending the Society for our publication. the Erben organ at the Huguenot Church in Charles- The report of the Publisher of ton, South Carolina, in November. Rollin Smith will was read. play the second recital on the Hook & Hastings organ Mrs. Cunningham gave the report of Robert Cole- at St. Alphonsus Church in New York City, in De- berd, Circulation Manager, with reference to mailings cember. Tom Cunningham read a report from Bar- to libraries. bara Owen on Headquarters and Foundation Grants. She states little interest by general members in Head- Homer Blanchard, Archivist, read his report. He quarters. requested that copies of all official Society business be provided for the Archives (notices of meetings, The next meeting will be held at Haddonfield, New etc.). It was suggested that all Committee Chairmen Jersey, March 3, 1973, and will be hosted by Albert be remindedTHE TRACKERof the meetings in time to provide re- F. Robinson. There was some discussion of the best ports. The Archivist would like two or more bound location for Council meetings, considering the geo- sets of in the Archives, one for reg- graphical center of membership. Some places men- ular use, one for permanent file. He would also like tioned included Columbus, Boston, Albany, Philadel- a steel storage cabinet and a 3 drawer index card phia, and Harrisburg. file. Meeting recommendedBOC that Newsletterfunds be appropri-Hil- President Cunningham adjourned the meeting. busated Chapterfor this. Newsletter. Homer Blanchard recommended that /s/ Alan Laufman ArchivesISO Information,should be getting The Organ, Art of theand Organ, Recording Secretary The Diapason. Other publications include (from notes taken by Robert Newton) the ---o--- and Reviewed material is often kept by the reviewer, but it should go to the Archives. CHAPTER NOTES Homer Blanchard suggested the possibility of an of- Greater New York City Chapter ficial reviewer. It was mentioned that the Society should make a list of contemporary builders. With the removal of Peter Cameron from the New Lunch was provided by Mrs. Blanchard. York scene, the Chapter elected Robert A. James as Norma Cunningham read the Quarterly Report its President. Louis Keraulophon,J. Iasillo is Secretary and Alan of the Audio-Visual Committee, sent by Norman Wal- Laufman is treasurer. Peter Cameron will continue to ter. He recommended that the Society should own serve as editor of the monthly news some Audio-Visual equipment, but opposition to this letter. was expressed, because of problems of shipping the Members planned to attend recitals at St. Michael's equipment. Homer Blanchard mentioned Lowell Ri- and St. Thomas' Churches, and the series of Bach ley's recording and photographic equipment. Cantatas Keraulophonat Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Martin Walsh presented plans for the 1973 Con- The continues to publish notes on vention. His address after January 1, 1973, will be builders, this time on James 699 River Road, Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067. Tom Mandeville who is listed in New York directories in the 1870's. Finch suggested unofficial approval of theA. Convention plans ; meeting agreed. Chester H. Berry, who has been serving in the Homer Blanchard recommended M. Vente as an Armed Forces in Europe, wrote about the German HonoraryPage 14 Member. This met with general approval. builder, B. Schlimbach, who also flourished in the 1870's. Chester is expected to complete his tour of dutyHilbus and Chapter return to the USA by the time you read this.
President James Akright has been busy building cymbelsterns - one for the AEolian-Skinner organ in Kennedy Center and another for the Rieger organ ANNOUNCING THE in All Souls Unitarian Church. While engaged in moving a c. 1811 Hilbus organ from the Smithsonian recital hall to an exhibit room, he discovered that wood-boring worms were active in a leg of -the wind- 18th ANNUAL chest support. Museum experts have injected vermi- cide into the affected parts with hypodermic needles. Two new Rieger organs are being installed, one in St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Washington, and the NATIONAL other for a church in Baltimore. Stephen Kowalyshyn has left our area, having ac- cepted a position with---0----- the Fisk Organ Company of CONVENTION Gloucester, Massachusetts. SUMMARY OF THE TREASURER'S REPORT of the
Statement of Condition, October 17, 1972 OR.GAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY Assets: Balance in checking account $ 2,168.86 Balance in savings accounts 3,948.06 Helen Harriman Foundation 219.27 Total Funds on Deposit $ 6,336.19 Inventories - Archives, Records, etc. 5,980.59 CENTRALto be NEWheld JinERSEY Total Assets $12,31/i.78 Retained Earnings: Balance 6/1/72 $11,447.10 June 26, 27, 28, 1973 Net profit to 10/17/72 869.68 Total Retained Earnings $12,316.78
Statement of Net Income andExpenses- Expenses, Income THE LAWRENCEVILLEwith headquarters SCHOOLat June 1, 1972, to October 17, 1972, THE TRACKER Receipts: All membership dues $ 3,552.81 Expenditures: 1. $ 2,497.38 2. Convention 1972 ( see below) 210.50 Lawrenceville, N.J. 3. Recordings 21.75 4. Slide Film 51.38 5. Historic Organs (no activity) 6. Archives (no activity) 7. Historic Organ Recital Series 109.75 8. Office & Administration 455.04 9. Savings Account Dividends 95.41 Watch for All details Totals $ 3,062.17 $ 3,931.85 Net Income 869;68 in the next issue of Totals $ 3,931.85 $ 3,9::ll.85 THE TRACKER
Convention 1972 ( Fiscal years 1971-2 and 1972-3) Receipts: Registration fees $ 3,864.15 Martin R. Walsh and 'Ads - Convention book 1,078.00 $ Total Receipts $ 4,942.15 Eugene A. Kelle '. .Expenses: Meals 1,698.50 Transportation 934.09 Co-chairmen Printing Convention hook 875.00 Admission feeR 365.00 Telephone 338.30 Recitalists 245.00 Mimeographing 130.69 Postage 100.22 Tuning & repairs to organf. 92.58 Stationery & F-upplieF- 16.47 $ 4,795.85
Net Tnconl<' 14fUlO Page 15 NOTES, QUOTES and COMMENTS
Methuen, Massachusetts, retaining the original chests console and mechanical action. A concave tadiatin It is indeed a pleasure to report that the 1880 Hil- pedal board replaces original flat one, and the to- borne Roosevelt tracker organ in the Church of St. the nal scheme of the organ was altered, increasing the Charles Boromeo, Philadelphia, has been undergoing number of ranks from 12 to 18. The pedal Sub Bass repairs by Joseph Chapline. The work should have and the Swell Open Diapason are the only original been completed by the time you read this. The organ pipes, and 16 new ranks (some imported) were in- was heard in a brilliant recital by the blind organist, Robert Ege (now deceased), during the 1960 OHS stalled. Annual Convention in Philadelphia. Mr. Skelton's program included works by Swee- linck, J. S. Bach, Buxtehude, Stanley, Pinkham, Brahms, Heiller and Reger. Prof. Donald R. M. Paterson, University Organist at Cornell, played the dedicatory recital on the re- Peter Cameron, of the founders of the Greater stored E. & G. G. Hook organ of 1870 in the Congre- Keraulophon, one York City and editor gational Church at Auburndale, Massachusetts, on Oc- New Chapter, OHS, the of has left Brooklyn and now lives at 190 tober 29, 1972. His program included works by Cor- St., Massachusetts 02145, and rette, Gigault, Couperin, Buxtehude, Vivaldi, Bal- Pearl Somerville, is Beaudry bastre, Kellner, Bohm, and J. S. Bach. employed in the firm of Philip A. Co. We all wish him well in location and work. The organ originally stood in Centenary Methodist his new Church of South Boston. In 1921 it was moved to the Methodist Church of Our Savior in South Boston, and W. Raymond Ackerman played a "Grand Organ was used until that congregation disbanded in 1971. Concert" on the E. & G. G. Hook organ in First Through the church's organist, Lois Regestein, and United Baptist Church of Lowell, Massachusetts, on the Organ Clearing House, the organ was moved to October 29, 1972. The 28-rank tracker was rebuilt in Auburndale and restored by George Bozeman, Jr., as- 1972 by C. B. Fisk, Inc., of Gloucester, Massachusetts. sisted by David Gibson and David Willett. Corinne Unfortunately we have neither the new specifications Gibson restored the case pipes to their original ap- nor the recital program. pearance, and five ranks were added so that there are now 22 stops composed of 24 ranks of pipes. Mr. Boze- man also commissioned Jon Wattenbarger to compose The Moravian Music Foundation in Winston-Sa- a special work for the dedication. This composition, lem, North Carolina, was established in 1956 to pre- entitled "Renaissance," is based on a poem by Richard serve and study, some 10,000 unpublished music man- Coburn, and was performed by Mary Louise Graves, uscripts from the eighteenth and early nineteenth soprano, and Lois Regestein, the church's organist. centuries in America and Europe. In addition to sacred choral compositions by Moravians, the collec- tions include chamber works and full symphonies by We are in receipt of a Newsletter of the American Haydn, Handel, and the sons of Bach. It also has the Musical Instrument Society, a nicely illustrated 8-page Irving Lowens collection of early American tune-books. pamphlet which describes their first annual conven- Research and editing have made available some 100 tion held in Washington D.C., on April 15-16, 1972. A titles, mainly choral music from the collections, many note from the Secretary says: "A few of our members of which have been performed at Festivals of Early are interested in organs [but] our membership is Moravian Music under Thor Johnson's direction. The heavily wind people (especially flutes and other wood- tenth such event occurred June 11-18 last year at Sa- winds)." Inquiries should be addressed to her as lem College. On September 1, 1972, Dr. Ewald V. follows: Nolte, director of the Foundation for 8 years, retired, Miss Linda Tauber and Karl Kroeger of Moorhead, Minnesota, replaces 86 Hamilton Avenue him. Yonkers, New York 10705
Noticing an ad regarding the sale of stopknobs, we The Organ Literature Foundation has issued a wrote to inquire the price of same, and are happy new list, No. 68 as supplement to Catalog F, together to pass on the information to OHS members. The with a descriptive brochure on recordingsHow madeto Build using a firm of Thomas Harrison & Sons (a division of N. P. WicksSmall Two-Manualorgans. The ChamberFoundation Pipe also Organ, announces their Mander Ltd.), Unit 66, Ada Street, London, E.8, Eng newest republication, H. F. Milne's land, provides solid ivory drawstop knobs and rose- which is de- wood knobs with ivory inserts. The cost of the unen- scribed as "a practical guide for Amateurs with full graved knob is ·2.25 pounds sterling, plus engraving instructions for making, including chaptersOrgan on Building tuning fee which varies from 75 pence to 1.50 pounds accord- andfor Amateurs.voicing ... " The action described is tracker. It ing to the style and number of letters. Packing fee is the perfect companion to the Wicks (10% of order) and shipping are extra. The price is ten dollars, and it may be ordered from the Foundation at Braintree, Massachu- setts 02184. John B. Skelton played a recital to rededicate the organ in the Parish Church of Our Savior at Middle- borough, Massachusetts, on October 8, 1972. The or- We were pleased to note that ourThe HonoraryContemporary Mem- gan, Jesse Woodberry & Co., Opus 161, c. 1890, has ber, William H. Barnes, has brought out a new edition recentlyf'a9e 16 been rebuilt by the Andover Organ Co. of (the ninth) of his noted work LETTERS TO THE EDITOR journal is taking its rightful place as a badly needed and valuable contribution to the American organ Dear Sir, world. Congratulations to your staff (if there is About three years ago you wrote to tell me that one?) and to you for such an achievement. I'm sure would welcome articles on New Zea THE TRACKER that all of us will be enriched thereby. land tracker organs, so here is the first installment. I really do enjoy reading THE TRACKER and Keep up the good work. wonder if there are any other readers in the Southern Cordially, Hemisphere. /s/ Robert Schuneman Gradually, as my limited budget and the extreme Editor, The Diapason scarcity of second-hand parts in this country allow, I * * .. am collecting parts to build my own organ at home here. It will have to be electric action , most regret Dear Sir, tably, as I simply do not have the skill to attempt to I thought you might be interested in a couple of make the tracker action for a three-manual in a room quotes from a letter of a friend named Dan Nealon in with only 9' 6" headi:oom. It will be a classic-type de Bloomington, Illinois, who has worked for both War sign, all unenclosed, but the actual design depends to ren Gratian (grandson of Joseph) and Charles Mc a fair extent on what ranks of pipes I can get hold of. Manis. I shall, of course, try to acquire slider chests, though "I remember Mrs. Gratian telling me that Warren these are very rare on the second-hand market. is the fifth generation of organ builders in his family, I am also interested in making a small collection that they came from England and paid for their first of organ knobs of different styles and types, and won building in Alton with English gold coins. There is a der if your readers have any they could spare, what window in St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Alton, rath ever the labels on them? er old looking, honoring the Gratian family. When I Yours sincerely, visited McManis last fall, in his shop they were recon /s/ A. Ross Wards structing a 16' open wood, very old, which came from "Rosslyn" a large Catholic church in Kansas City. It was being 8 Ramahana Rd. Huntsbury Hill revised as a stopped 32' for McManis' large instru Christchurch, New Zealand ment (70 ranks plus) in St. Paul's Episcopal, Sarasota, • • • Florida. McManis completely rebuilt each one using the same old wood to make the stoppers and fill the Dear Sir, tuning slot, then beautifully sanded and refinished." ... Recent issues of THE TRACKER show signs Sincerely, of real improvement, both in editorial content and in /s/ Pat Wegner physical appearance. It would appear that the circum 889 Rombach, Apt.5 stances of OHS are steadily improving, and that its Wilmington, Ohio 45177
American Organ during the past year. Congratula tions to him, and best wishes for his continued success.
Prof. Donald R.M. Paterson, University Organist at Cornell, played a recital of French organ music of ®l� ®rgau the sixteenth and seventeeth centuries along with se lections by Bach at the Anabel Taylor Chapel of Cor Recently Discovered nell in Ithaca, New York, on July 23, 1972, using the new Wolff tracker organ.
From Rodney L. Degner: "Regarding the McKim Scene of Historic Organ Recital Residence Organ in Washington, D.C., [in THE TRACKER, Vol. XVI, No. 1, Fall 1971] it is stated there are about 4,000 pipes in all. How can this pos sibly be? The specification shows 39 to 40 ranks de PART OF SERIES ACROSS AMERICA pendant on how large the Cornet is. If the Cornet is 3 ranks, and all the pedal stops are independant, the pipe count will be 2192. I caught this because the St. Paul [Sioux City. Iowa] organ is 42 ranks and 2,200 pipes." Have you arranged a recital on that special organ A son, Robert Thurston Munroe, was born on Au in your area? Write today to Kenneth F. Sim gust 8, 1972, to Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. M.Paterson mons, 17 Pleasant St., Ware, Mass. 01082. at Ithaca, New York. This is the Paterson's third child, and we tender the congratulatiorn; of the whole society to them. Page 17 NEW TRACKER ORGANS Brombaugh in Columbus, Ohio The firm of John Brombaugh & Co. of Middletown, Ohio, has completed a new organ with mechanical key and stop action in a free-standing case of fumed white oak. The organ has two manuals, ten ranks and 572 pipes, with provision for the addition of two more stops at a future time. The metal pipes were imported from Zeist, Holland, and the wood pipes were made at the Brombaugh shop. The organ stands in St. James Episcopal Church, Columbus, Ohio, and the specifica tion is: Great Positive Praestant 8' Gedackt 8' Holpijp 8' Rohrflote 4' Octave 4' Principal 2' Octave 2' Pedal Mixture V Subbass 16' Gt/Ped Pos/Ped Praestant 8' The Subbass is an extension of the Great Holpijp and the praestant is "by transmission from 1 Manual." The manual compass is 56 notes, 1 C-g• and the Pedal is 30 notes, C-/ • The organ was dedicated on October 24, 1971, with The recent Johannes Klals organ In the residence of Emile Nor a recital played by Arthur Carkeek, Professor of Or man, Big Sur, California. Photograph• courtesy of Brooks Clement. gan and Theory at DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana.
Johannes Klais in Big Sur, California John Brombaugh & Co. also installed a one-manual Homer D. Blanchard reports the two-manual and and pedal instrument in the home of Martin Littmann, pedal house organ built by Johannes Klais of Bonn, Middletown, Ohio, the same year. This organ has Germany, for the residence of Emile Norman in Big three ranks of pipes and permanently coupled pedal. Sur, California, is a most unusual installation. The specifications were devised by Hans Gerd Klais, with Brooks Clement collaborating. Josef Schaefer de Hradetzky in St. Louis, Missouri signed the physical layout of the pipes and casework, The new 28 rank tracker-action organ for St. Louis and Mr. Norman (a noted sculptor) inlaid the doors Priory in St. Louis, Missouri, was built and assem of the organ case with his exquisite artwork in rare bled in the workshops of Gregor Hradetzky Orgelbau, and exotic woods. Krems-Donau, Austria, the first of its kind to be im ported to America. It was dedicated on September 17, It is stated that there are some 40-50 different 1967, and follows this specification: varieties of wood in the inlays. "What looks in places Great Swell like a 'distressed' wood finish is apparently not; it is a Prinzi pal 8' Gedeckt 8' matter of intarsia work." The interesting wood pipe Rohrflote 8' Kleingedeckt 4' screens were also designed by Mr. Norman. The wood Oktave 4' Prinzipal 2' pipes are of mahogany, while metal pipes are largely Waldflote 2' Quint /3' Sesquialtera II Scharff 2/3' IV 70% tin, polished. The action is tracker throughout. Mixture 1 1/3' V-VI Krummhorn 8' Pedal Mr. Clement, who serves as Mr. Norman's mana Subbass 16' ger, is also an organist and has kindly contributed the Oktavbass 8' photo shown here. The disposition of the organ is: Gedecktbass 8' Choralbass 4' Nachthorn 2' Great - 6 1 notes Positif - 61 notes Fagott 16' 8' Rohrflote 8' Holzgedackt This organ was recorded by Ars Nova-Ars Antigua, 8' Quintadena 4' Spillflote with William Maul playing a program of Baroque 4' Principal 2' Principal music. (See THE TRACKER, Vol. XV, No. 4, Sum 2' Blackflote 1 /3' Sifflote mer 1971.) 2r Sesquialtera 8' Musetteregal 3r Mistur Cymbelstern Tremulant Tremulant Bosch in Bel-Nor, Missouri Pedal - 32 notes Couplers The tracker action organ in Unity Evangelical 16' Subbass Great/Pedal Lutheran Church at Bel-Nor, Missouri, was built in 8' Principal Positif/ Pedal the Werner Bosch Werkstatte fi.ir Orgelbau near Kas 4' Spizflote Positif/Great sel, Germany, where it was assembled and tested. It 16' Dulcian arrived at the church in December, 1970, and was in 4' Schalmey stalled and voiced by Herr Martin Ott of the Bosch firm and Mr. W. A. Brummer of Midwest Organ Ser E. Power Biggs gave the dedicatory recital, and vice, Granite City, Illinois, who designed the organ, many famous organists have performed since that assisted by Mr. Whitney Otis. Bel-Nor is a suburb time. There are 16 registers, 19 ranks, and 983 pipes. pf St. Lo,1is.
Page 18 There are 18 ranks among the 14 stops and a total of !)82 pipes. The Holzgedackt pipes are made of oak and the Subbass pipes of mahogany. All of the other pipes are metal. There are five electrically operated general combination pistons, adjustable at the console. The specification reads: Great Swell 8' Principal 61 pipes 8' Holzgedockt 61 pipes 8' Rohrflote 61 pipes 8' Solicionol 61 pipe, 4' Oktove 61 pipes 4' Spitzflote 61 pipes 2' Spillflote 61 pipes 2' Weitoktove 61 pip9s IV Mixtur 244 pipes 1 1/3' Kleinquinte 61 pipes Pedal 8' Oboe Schalmei 61 pipes 16' Subboss 32 pipes 8 Geigenprincipol 32 pipes 4' & 2' Chorolflote 64 pipes Dr. Paul Manz of Minneapolis played the dedica tory recital on this organ on January 31, 1971, includ ing works of Bach, Buxtehude, Franck, Peeters, Langlais, Micheelsen, and his own four Chorale Improvisations.
Bosch in Bloomington, Illinois The First Baptist Church in Bloomington, Illinois, had a Moller organ dating from 1911. In 1966 a committee was fot•med and in 1 !J70 the congregation voted to purchase a new Bosch tracker action organ. rt was thereupon built by the Werner Bosch Organ Company of Sander hausen/Kassell, Germany, under the supervision of Mr. Walmnr A. Brummer of the Midwest Organ Service of Granite City, Illinois. The installation and tonal finish was done by Mr. Martin Ott and Mr. Whitney Otis, both of whom were for merly associated with the Bosch firm in Germany. There are 23 ranks comprising 19 stops. The organ is free-standing, encased, with reversed console. The key colors are reversed, i.e., black naturals and white sharps. It has been reported that the touch is rather heavy. Also, that the organ was very well designed but that carpeting added after its installation detracts from the final result. The stoplist reads: Great Swell The 1972 Charles Fisk organ, opus 57, In St. Paul's Episcopal Principal 8' Holz Gedockt 8' Church, Wllllmantlc, Connecticut. Gedockt 8' Spitz Gamba 8' Oktave 4' Gamba Celeste 8' Flach Flote 2' Rohr Flote 4' (not installed at the time the picture was taken). The Sesquioltera 11 Oktove 2' specification runs: Mixtur IV Klein Quinte 1 I /3' Great Choir Trampete 8' Oboe Schalmei 8' Bourdon 16' 61 pipes Stopt Diapason 8' 61 pipe$ Pedal Tremulont Preston! 8' 61 pipes Flute 4' 61 pipes Sub Boss 16' Couplers Chimney Flute 8' 61 pipes Doublet 2' 61 pipes Oktove 8' Swell to Great Italian Principal 4' 61 pipes Sharp IV 244 pipe, Pommer 8' Swell to Pedal Cornet 11-111 * 147 pipes Cremona 8' 61 pipes Choral Boss 4' Greet to Pedal Mixture VI-VI 11 447 pipes Pedal Fogott 16' Trumpet 8' 61 pipes Bourdon 16' 32 notes from Great The organ was dedicated on January 9, 1972, with a Couplers Octave 8' 32 notes from Great recital by Gerhard Krapf of the University of Iowa. His Great to Trumpet 8' 32 notes from Great Pedal Choir to Sockbut 16' 32 pipe, selections included work by Buxtehude, Arnold Schlick, Pedal Choir to Josf Meck, Walther, Walchsa, Dandrieu, Reger, Bach, Great* This stop provides a Nazord 2 2/3' when drawn halfway. and his own Psalm Suite. There is a tremulont and Cymbalstor, and there is o mochine stop effecting the Mixture ond Great Trumpet. Fisk in Willimantic, Connecticut Charles Fisk's opus 57 was completed for its Frobenius in Cambridge, Massachusetts dedication on September 24, 1972, in St. Paul's An installation which has caused great interest is Episcopal Church, Willimantic, Connecticut. On the first example in America of the Danish organ October 1 the dedicatory recital was played by Dr. builders, Theodore Frobenius, and Sons, of Copen- George Becker. hagen. This instrument i� installed i11 the Firit1 Called the "Alleluia Organ," the instrument con- 1C,n1fi11lfcd u11 111•.r/ JHl.tf<' ! tains a Cymbal Star which has viidble turning stan� Page 19 GLEANINGS "The tuner within the instrument, knowing the finicality of the critic, stopped his work, and giving from the corresponding secretary several raps with a hammer on some portion of the I've gotten quite a few chuckles gleaning bits from wood-work inside, asked him if the pipe was now right. an 1898 issue of The Musician. Quoting from "The "Bending his ear close to the keyboard as the note Organist's Retrospect" by Ernest Onslow, the editor was sounded, he pronounced it perfect, although the chose several examples of ignorance, and one of the tuner had not touched the pipe; and selected a number best was: of other notes which he desired regulated in the same "Sometimes there would be an officious critic on manner. After hearing the hammer raps as before, he an organ committee who would in many ways endeav said he was delighted with the improvement, and de or to assert his superior knowledge above the others. clared that this particular stop was now the most per On one occasion, when the final tuning of a new in fect of the kind he had ever heard, boasting to the strument was being done in the church, a very fussy other members of the committee that its superiority member stood by the key-board watching each note. was entirely owing to his careful supervision." He attempted to criticize the voicing of every pipe. Sometimes one finds things of interest right in While one register was being regulated, he stopped "one's own backyard," so to speak, and I recently came the work in its progress, and said that CJ was of a across an old Christmas book called "Christmas Carols different quality of tone from C, and that it must be New and Old" which was published in England in made right before the organ would be accepted. 1874 (the date is very faded). It belonged to my mother who came from Nova Scotia, and it is quite unusual. The words and music of some forty-two carols are New Tracker Organs accompanied by some of the most interesting, beauti (continued from page 19) ful illustrations I have ever seen. These plates are taken chiefly from the designs of W. J. Wiegand, T. Church, Congregational, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dalziel and F. A. Fraser plus a few others, and the having 40 stops, mechanical key action, electric stop quaint allegorical frontispiece is by Dalziel, although action, and wind pressures from 2½ to 3 inches. the index states it is by Arthur Hughes. Well, this Music/the AGO Maga The October 1972 issue of will give a clue to some of the contents, for some of zine contains a fine article on this organ and its the titles (while they may be original) are misleading, builder. We have, however, a copy of the builder's and some of the tunes differ from those provided in specifications and are happy to present them here: such musical bibles as The Oxford Book of Carols. Hovedvork C-c ''." (I. Man.) Svellevork C-c "" (111. Man.) Except for the wonderful OHS convention at 1. Pommer 16' 11. Bordun 8' Woodstock, Vermont, my most interesting activity of 2. Prinzipal 8' 12. Viola 8' last summer was to spend several days at the St. Dun 3. Flate 8' 13. Celeste 8' 4. Oktove 4' 14. Prinzipcl 4' stan's College Conference on Sacred Music in Provi 5. Gemshorn 4' 15. Quintode 4' dence at the end of August. 6. Oktove 2' 16. Oktave 2' In 1920 St. Dunstan's Choir School was founded 7. Mixtur IV 17. Scharf IV for the training of choir boys and to provide boy sing 8. Zimbel Ill 1 8. Fagot! 16' 9. Trompete 8' 19. Trompete 8' ers for several Providence churches. St. Dunstan's 10. Trompete 4' (en chomode) 20. Oboe 8' College of Sacred Music was founded in the early Positiv C-c '"' (11. Man.) Pedal C-g 1930's for the purpose of training choirmasters and 21. Rohrflate 8' 31. Untersatz 32' organists. It had an academic affiliation with Brown 22. Prinzipal 4' 32. Prinzipol 16' 23. Block/late 4' 33. Subbass 16' University. While the Choir School continued for 24. Nosal 2 2/3' 34. Oktove 8' many years, the college lasted only two years in those 25. Hohl/late 2' 35. Spitzflate 8' depression times. However, the charter of the College 26. Terz 1 3/5' 36. Nachthorn 4' has been renewed yearly in the State Assembly. In 27. Quinte 1 1/3' 37. Choralbass 4' & 2' 28. Otove 1' 38. Hintersctz IV 1968, Hollis E. Grant formed the St. Dunstan's College 29. Scharf IV 39. Pasaune 16' Conference on Sacred Music which continues, at least 30. Regal 16' (en chamade) 40. Trampete 8' briefly, the aims and original purposes of the College. Koblinger Tremulanter I attended a recital by Gerre Hancock who played 1. Positiv - Hovedvork 1. Svellevark 2. Svellevork - Hovedvark 2 Positiv gloriously-much verve and spirit despite the very hot, 3. Svellevork - Positiv humid weather-on the 3m 60r Moller in First Unitar 4. Hovedvork - Pedal ian Church. Another memorable program was given 5. Positiv - Pedal by Maria Gregoire, harpsichordist, and James Maes, 6. Svellevark - Pedal organist, at St. John's Cathedral--both splendid ar It has been stated that this organ cost one hundred tists. The organ used was a portativ built by David and forty thousand dollars. Cogswell. It was dedicated on October 6, 1972, with a recital There was also a Jean Langlais festival-a pro by James Johnson, organist of the church, and an gram of his works with the great composer himself as orchestra and choir conducted by Gerald Moschell. organist and the Conference Chorus conducted by Future concerts include one with the Harvard Univer Alexander Peloquin. Over the years many notables, sity Choir directed by John Ferris on March 25, 1973, such as Elaine Brown, George Faxon, Jack Noble and our honorary member, E. Power Biggs, will play White, Albert Russell, Clarence Snyder, Jack Fisher, a program of Festive Music for Organ and Brass on Edward Gammons and Barbara Owen have served on April 22. the faculty here.
Page 20 STICKERS and SQUARES more worldly brethren, we will now sing the hymn, 'Return Ye Wandering Sinners Home.' " In Ernest Onslow's "The Organist's Retrospect" (published some time prior to 1898) we read: "In another church the pastor acted as the head of Matthew-Michael Bellochio contributes the fol the committee. Before the shipment of the organ, I lowing text which may be sung to the tune called had sent a letter giving directions to have an unes "Aurelia": sential portion of an overhead timber removed, as it was in the way of the position which the lowest open Our Organ's Firm Foundation pedal pipe would occupy, and as it would be out of Our organ's firm foundations are diapasons fat sight, its removal would not in any way be detrimen Installed in nineteen-twenty, from that day since tal, explaining that an organ pipe, to give the correct they've sat. sound, must be of a prescribed mathematical length. From Boston, Mass., we sought it-the object of our "As this was not done before the arrival of the pride; organ, the workmen were subject to some delay in For fifteen grand we bought it when our old tracker setting up the instrument, and stood the pipe up on "died." one side so that the amount to be cut away could be Elect from every family of pipes that give a toot, readily seen. It not being in their province to do this It's Great specification: one reed, one string, one flute; work, they left directions with the pastor to have it With leathered diapasons at sixteen, eight, and four; done while they were away at the noon-hour. And sub and super couplers, how could one ask for "But the pastor felt that every portion of the more? church had been consecrated, and took upon himself Though with a scornful wonder men hear it sore the adjustment in a way which was the most satisfac tory to his professed reverence for the holy frame opprest, work of the sanctuary. By ciphers rent asunder, by wind-line leaks distres.t. Yet choir boys are list'ning; their cry goes up, "How "Instead of removing the obstruction, he solved the long problem by deliberately sawing off the large pipe Before this hoot and hissing cease drowning out our with his own hands, saying to the workmen on their song?" return that I had no authority to make a pipe of such length as to cause any portion of the sacred edifice 'Mid toil and tribulation and heated vestry wars, to be mutilated!" We wait the ruination of it for evermore; 'Till with some chiffing glorious our longing ears are blest, Have you dusted off your Merkel lately? Gustav And leathered pipes notorious shall be but scraps at is described in The Organists' Journal for January rest. 1893 as "one of the peers among the composers of or gan music in Germany." He was born in 1827, studied Yet we still oil the swell shades each month with composition with Schumann among others, and served three-in-one, as organist at churches in Dresden from 1858 until And grease the motor bearings, to quiet down its run; his death in 1885. Nearly two hundred of his compo Oh mis'rable contraption! Lord grant us funds that we sitions were published, mostly organ music, including Might junk it for a tracker with pressures less than nine organ sonatas. The Journal says that "the sec three! ond sonata, in G minor, has been played a great deal, and is probably the most popular one of the set. All the sonatas are characterized by their contrapuntal One gem that turned up at the Philadelphia Flea and fugal treatment rather than the stereotyped so Market last summer was a suite by Joseph Bonnet, nata form, particularly in the first movements." Bet "organiste due Grand-Orgue de St. Eustache" enti ter get out that dust cloth. tled "Poem es d'A utomne," being three pieces for con The following August, the Journal contained this cert or salon. They were subtitled "Lied des Chry paragraph: santhemes," "Matin Provencal" and "Poeme du Soir.'' A few Sundays ago, at a small church not far from The work, Opus 3, was published in 1908 and dedi New York, the choir thought that they would regale cated to Alexandre Guilmant. The cover bore a their congregation with the anthem, "How Beautiful striking likeness of St. Cecilia carrying a neat porta Upon the Mountains." At the conclusion of the piece tiv strapped around her shoulders, playing the key the good old minister turned around to them and ex board with her right hand and pumping a ·small bel claimed: "Yes, my friends, you are perfectly right, it lows with her left hanrl-all surrounded with Easter is beautiful upon the mountains, and it would seem to lilies ! me that judging from the slim attendance here this evening, that nearly all of our congregation are there, or at the sea shore. It doubtless is far more pleasant to be there enjoying oneself than to attend church in ARSr RA us s Lhis pe,;ky dried-up tO\vn, but after all we mu:ot d,· our duty faithfully and uncomplainingly, and on the whole feel glad that we are alive, even if we are de ,thaca, new york nied the many privileges which fall to the lot of our
Page 21 REVIEWS solved by the ingenious Ktesibios in a manner rtot fully understood until now, and although there were many Books subsequent improvements, it was several hundred years before there was a radical departure from the The Organ from its invention in the Hellenistic system. And ancient methods of using keys, sliders, and other methods of admitting air to pipes persisted Period to the end of the Thirteenth well into the Middle Ages. Century. Jean Perrot. London, Oxford University Press, 1971. Realizing that the interest of the average reader of this review would not be served by an in-depth dis The author of this review recalls his first interest cussion of the particular chapter in which formulae in the pre-Christian period organ was originally for measuring water and air pressure are set forth aroused on reading an article by Willi Apel in the at length, yet it must be asked whether there is not periodical Speculum some years ago-a fascinating an error on p. 147 in the equation; whether a plus exposition which, however, left a number of questions rather than a minus sign is not called for here. The unanswered. Although isolated accounts have ap formula seems somewhat meaningless as it stands, peared in other sources since, this is the first com and it is the most important part of Chapter Eight; plete, definitive early history of the organ., It has the publishers should re-examine it. One other per been used as one of several required texts in a two haps more important point: source material is exten semester college course in organ literature; it has sively annotated in chapter footnotes, and some pri been suitably tested, therefore, under exacting peda mary source material appears in untranslated form in gogical conditions. appendices. An all-inclusive bibliography would have been highly desirable, as well. A highly detailed study, the approximately three hundred pages of text have been divided into two sec It is decidedly unfair to a balanced review of this tions: 1) devoted to the Graeco-Roman organ, and text that our personal enthusiasm for the earlier chap 2) a description of the organ in the Middle Ages, ters and the limitations of space require that the men which included the organ in the Arab world and in tion of the remaining sections of the text, which are the East. The mediaeval portion is of interest, al of equal importance, must here be superficially though containing emendations and clarifications of treated; the Eastern organ, glory of the Byzantine material already discussed in other standard works on court; the tenth century "mixture" organ at Winches the history of the organ. Nevertheless, it is the sec ter (in a building probably the predecessor of the tion on the invention of the organ-the hydraulus present Cathedral) in which two organists, each play that may constitute the greatest single contribution ing his own manual, pushed alphabetized keys, or to the history of the instrument under one cover, and sliders, in and out-each slider operating perhaps ten proved most intriguing to the writer. pipes; the development of pipe scaling and tessitura; the opposition of the mediaeval clergy to the introduc It seems strange that the hydraulus was invented. tion of organs into churches, which eventually gave One would have thought it might have evolved, like way to a form of competition as to who could own the the wheel. Ktesibios, an engineer, is credited with its most splendid instrument; this will make fascinating invention around 270 B.C. He left writings; explana reading for some, heavy going for others. There is tions of the hydraulus by Vitruvius and Hero of much of a highly technical nature in this text. But it Alexandria are based on these. The work that Perrot is the definitive book on the organ of this period. The has done was admirable in several important respects. publishers should be commended for issuing a book He was able to arrive at conclusions with regard to which, despite its inherent value, may not be in great the exact nature of the hydraulus through the exami demand even by the organ enthusiast, since practical nation of incomplete descriptions as found in Greek performance literature from the period is non-existent. and (later) Latin treatises of the time-no mean feat, But with Peter Williams' The European Organ 1450- since it implies a thorough knowledge of these lan 1850, and William Sumner's The Organ, the per guages, and some of the more subtle nuances of mean former has an invaluable reference library on his in ing of certain key words. As the hydraulic organ be strument; no informed person will want to be without came better known in the ancient world, representa this splendid addition to the history of the king of tions of it were made, and there is an important chap instruments. ter on available iconographical evidence. Only one -Harry Wilkinson with his massive scholarship would be able to look at let us say-a picture or a terracotta representation of an organ and be able .to separate factual, useful infor ----,o--- mation from possible artistic flights of fancy. Sev eral myths were laid to rest. One of these (perpet uated by H. G. Farmer, who should have known bet Records ter) that the hydraulic organ used boiling water was Messiaen: "Les Corps Glorieux," "La Nativite diu Seig patently absurd. Finally, using exact measurements, neur," and "Messe de la Pentecote" -played by Char supplying missing information on a deductive basis les Krigbaum on Yale University's Woolsey Hall organ. from incomplete descriptions, pictures, and the like, Lyrichord LLST 7224, 7225, 7226. Perrot constructed his own hydraulus, a working model. The problems of the pump system, of steady What makes an organ historic? Many answers wind pressure, of admitting air into pipes, were could be given, but they boil down to two things- Page 22 uniqueness and excellence. This is true of historic new 3-manual Rieger in Tokyo. It is only during the recordings as well. In the past year two splendid re past decade or so that Japan has become organ-con cordings of historic (or, in one case, history-making) scious, and this instrument, the largest in the country organs have come to my attention as being especially thus far, is a milestone. The dedication recital, played worthy of commendation to OHS members. Both also by OHS member Yuko Hayashi, occurred in October, share the property of being performed by sensitive 1970. Miss Hayashi, though now residing in Boston, and technically outstanding artists. is a native of Japan and perhaps the first Japanese The first represents a truly major recording proj organist to gain international recognition as a ect-three discs containing three of Messiaen's best concert artist. Pieces on the record are the Bach known works. The Woolsey Hall organ at Yale is per Vivaldi Concerto in D, Bach's Fantaisie & Fugue haps the largest (175 speaking stops) and best early in G minor, Franck's Chorale No. III, and Mes twentieth century Romantic instrument. It was built siaen's Dieu Parmi Nous. All are played with a by Hutchings in 1903, rebuilt and nearly doubled in sure feeling for individual styles and a mature and size by Steere in 1916, and again rebuilt and en self-effacing musicianship which' contribute to a most larged by Ernest Skinner in 1928. Since then it has satisfying listening experience. This is a record worth been unaltered, and it is intended that it remain so. having not just for its uniqueness but for its lively Although the instrument has been in constant use for and highly competent interpretation of the music. It recitals since its building, these recordings are the can be ordered by sending six dollars to: Music De first commercial discs to be made on it to this re partment, International Christian University, Mataka, viewer's knowledge, and Professor Krigbaum is to be Tokyo, Japan. -Barbara Owen commended for so ably filling this gap in the disco graphy of the American organ. Moussorgsky: Pictures from an Exhibition-played Krigbaum's playing is impeccable, never showy. by Calvin Hampton on the Roosevelt-Aeolian-Skinner letting the natural emotionalism of the music make organ in Calvary Church, New York. MHS 1472, itself felt. Indeed, he exhibits, a kind of musical hu Stereo. mility which seems rare in performers who are at Is the pendulum beginning to swing back? Time tracted to Messiaen, and which this listener finds re was when transcriptions for the organ took precedence freshing and illuminating. Under Krigbaum's fingers over organ literature, and our recitalists made up Messiaen fares well indeed. From the vast resources their own transcriptions if none was available in print. of the Woolsey Hall organ his registrational choices Well, the Moussorgsky work, originally composed seem always well thought out, often transcendently for the piano, is far better known in its several or beautiful. There are some highly successful studies chestral transcriptions. And, if memory serves, it was in contrast. of which the alternate tension and tran Horowitz who made a piano transcription of the piece! quillity of the Combat de la Mort et de la Vie (Corps Robert Elmore made one for the theatre organ not long Glorieux) serves as one outstanding example. For ago, but now comes this version by Calvin Hampton sheer virtuosity, try the Sortie from the Messe de la and it is something of an achievement. Pentecote -it's a real display piece for the organ, too. Mr. Hampton states that he was intrigued by the However, of the three discs, my own personal hvorite idea when asked to play the final movement ("The is the Nativite, which I find to be one of the most Great Gate at Kiev") for a wedding processional at listenable performances of this suite I've heard on a Calvary Church where he is organist. From there he record or off. And these are top-drawer recordings, set about transcribing the other movements and the too; really good reproduction without a trace of dis result is a stunning account of this lovable score. His tortion. registration is imaginative and telling. His technique Dedicatory Recital Program-played by Yuko Hayashi is superb. His depth of comprehension is mature and on the new Rieger organ at International Christian clear. And the organ responds magnificently to his University in Tokyo, Japan. every nuance. The jacket tells us that the present instrument was A historic organ of a different sort is the fine built by Hilbourne Roosevelt in 1885,----- (replacing----- the
tI : ' I r·-' ··•--;:�;·�•;:::·:·�•�•··�::· •·::�·�-:·•:1...... -....� .. l ' I I I SCHLICKER I t! Peoroe John Ferris organ of 1847?) and that it has under CLASSIFIED gone several rebuildings including a major one by WANTED-Back issues TAO 1918-52; The Diapason 1909- Aeolian-Skinner, but that much of the Roosevelt pipe 35, Oct. 1949. Will pay your price.. Write first to Bob work remains. Whatever the case, the organ sounds Jacoby, 3815 Springfield, Apt. 2C, Kansas City, Kansas superb in this recording which is available only 66103. through the Musical Heritage Society, 1991 Broad way, New York, N. Y. 10023. FOR SALE-50 used tracker organs, all sizes, varying con Bach Organ Favorites, Vol. 5-played by E. Power dition, located Maine to California, about $500.00 each. Biggs on the 1958 Flentrop organ in the Romanesque Organ Clearing House, Mountain Road, Cornwall-on-Hud Hall of the Busch-Reisinger Museum at Harvard son, New York 12520. University. Columbia M 31424 Stereo. Although Mr. Biggs, our Honorary Member, has HALF-PRICE SALE-Closing out our convention records produced four previous Bach Albums, this one really '63 Portland, '64 Washington, '65 Cincinnati, '66 Cape tops them all with the big works of Bach. Cod-only $2.50 each. Please include 25c per record Beginning with the Fantasy and Fugue in G minor for postage. Order from OHS Treasurer. (the "Great") and continuing with the Chorale Pre lude on "Jesu, Priceless Treasure" and the Fantasy in FOR RENT-OHS slide-tape program "A History of the G major, the first side of this disc reveals the tremen Organ in America from 1700 to 1900." Duration: 45 dous range of Bach's skill in organ literature. minutes. Full information and rates: F. Robert Roche, The second side, not to be outdone, offers the Pre 60 Park St., Taunton, Mass. 02780. lude and Fugue in B minor (the "Great"), followed by the Chorale Prelude "We All Believe in One God" with its fugue on the Creed, and closing with the FRED N. BUCH delightful Prelude and Fugue in C major. I Representing Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co. Mr.Biggs is in his top form in all of these works, bringing life and vitality through his authoritative Ephrata, Pennsylvania interpretations making them models for all of us to follow. ..------, The organ, built for this building, is enhanced by the fine acoustics. The recording is superior and on ALBERT F. ROBINSON good stereo equipment makes one feel almost present at a live performance. Hats off to Andrew Kazdin, FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH the producer. HADDONFIELD, NEW JERSEY -A. F. R. Page 24